Anti-rail-spreading device.



G. C. OSBORNE.

vANTI-RAIL-SPREADING DEVICE.

APPLlcATloN msn SEPT. 21. :91s.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

ATTORNEY Wwf@ GUY CLIFFORD OSBORNE, 0F RANDALL, KANSAS.

ANTI-RAIL-SPREADING DEVICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application led September 21, 1915. Serial N o. 51,803.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY CLIFFORD 'Os- BORNE, a citizen of the United States, resid ing at Randall, in the county of Jewell and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Anti-Rail- Spreading Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway safety appliances and more particularly to an improved anti-rail-spreading device.

The object of the invention is to generally improve in the construction of anti-railspreading devices in that the component parts thereof may be so relatively arranged and interlocked as to positively preclude displacement of the mentioned parts and consequently relative movement of the railway rails.

The invention may be said to consist in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing my invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved anti-rail-spreading device, partly broken away, the railway rails in connection with which the device is being used being shown in transverse section; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device as illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the underlying wedge shaped rail engaging parts; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. l.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, 1l designates the railway rails and 2 the cross ties to which the mentioned rails are fastened in a manner common to the art. The device of my invention, designated as an entirety by the numeral 3 is of a construction and size to enter the space between the mentioned ties and to engage both the inner and outer faces of the respective railway rails.

In its preferred embodiment the antirail-spreading device 3 may be said to consist of a spreading bar designated as an entirety by the numeral 4y and complemental interlocking underlying wedge shaped members designated respectively 5 and 6. The terminals of the Spreading' bar 4 are somewhat enlarged as indicated at 7 to overlap and positively contact with the inside base flange of the rails 1 and through such positive engagement maintain the mentioned rails properly spaced and at all times in substantially parallelism. rAn integral band or collar 8 is formed upon the spacing bar 4 adjacent each end thereof to engage and embrace the respective underlying rail engaging members 5 and 6, such engagement acting as a brace for the mentioned members and maintaining the component parts of the complete device in contiguous or engaging relation when properly assembled as shown to advantage in Fig. 1.

As suggested, the underlying rail engaging members 5 and 6 are of a wedge-shaped formation, each of the said members tapering to a point equi-distant from the terminals of the dividing or spacing bar 4. An enlargement 9 is formed upon the outer extremity of each of the mentioned members 5 and 6 to overlap and contact with the outside base flange of the rails 1 that the mentioned rails may be locked against displacement and in rnn engagement with the terminals of the spacing bar 4.

Serrated extensions, designated respectively 10 and 11 are formed upon the inner terminals of the respective members 5 and 6, the mentioned extensions being adapted for overlapping and interlocking engagement in the manner shown. Each extension is provided with an opening 12 through which a fastening bolt 13 passes, the mentioned bolt 13 likewise fitting an opening 14 in the spacing bar 4 to be held in place by a removable nut 15 threaded on said bolt to engage with the top face of the spacing bar 4 that access may be gained thereto with facility and ease.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is evident that the rails 1 are positively locked against relative movement; that the parts constituting the anti-railspreading device are so interlocked and arranged as to preclude casual displacement; and that but a single fastening bolt may be utilized to maintain the said parts in the desired and assembled relation. l

If desired, the contacting surfaces of the extensions 10 and 11 maybe made perfectly smooth that the members 5 and 6 may be readily slid into proper place.

In reduction t0 practice, I have found that lofi` the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eilicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device Will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, When required, Without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as deiined in the appended claim.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z- An anti-rail-spreading device including a spreading bar of a length to engage With the GUY CLIFFORD OSBORNE.

Witnesses ALBERT PEENY, B. L. ToLsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of atents,V

Washington, D. C. v 

